Nicol Epple THIS IS MY VERY CHOPPY, INCOMPLETE, NEEDS MUCH WORK WRITING…. Germaine de Stae’s Corinne, or Italy and Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park with female protagonists so very different from one another may not seem at first to have much in common. Corinne of Corinne, or Italy embodies art, poetry, improvisation. Fanny Price of Mansfield Park embodies not anything we are quite certain of. Fanny remains so reticent in her behavior that the reader learns more of Fanny from what she does not do than what she does. But rather than state the two women are opposites. Let’s consider them at this time just very different. However, Henry Crawford of Mansfield Park at times expresses himself in such a dramatic way that one may perhaps think of Corinne. Likewise, Lord Oswald Nelvil of Corinne, or Italy maintains himself in certain controlled composure that may be reminiscent of Fanny. But this paper is not to compare these four main characters of the novel. Rather, what interests me is the driving force that motivates them. From the onset I state that each acts out of a sense of duty which each hosts according to their uniquenesses. What constituents form duty? How does duty affect one’s behavior? And how does duty affect one’s creativity? Duty what constituents form one’s sense of duty? These questions I hope to elucidate through close reading of these two narratives.
MORE PROSE Lord Nelvil and Corinne Lord Nelvil is moved by his sense of duty to his religion, country, and father. I use the progressive past tense to emphasize in this case the strong influence of duty upon Lord Nelvil. He is the recipient of protagonizing duty. Therefore, his behaviors and actions match manner that he believes his duty should manifest itself. In telling Corinne of Madame d’Arbigny he states that her should have married her out of duty. So strongly does he fell responsible to carry out that which duty demands he calls himself a “slave” to Madame d’Arbigny. My clarification of that statement would be that Nelvil is a slave to duty. He states: Nothing can express the emotion I felt; this sacred and new duty filled my soul, and I bowed before Madame d’Arbigny, her devoted slave. (216) ‘I should have married her at once, as she wished, only I encountered all the difficulties an Englishman always meets with in France being married . . . I resolved not to quit her” … I was prey to the thought that I could never acknowledge my disgrace. I had a presentiment that my father was ill, but would not allow myself to believe this impression, which I took for weakness. I combated my duty with my passion for Madame d’Arbigny, and my passion appeared a duty. (217) Even in adversity duty working through Nelvil creates perseverance; he will not “quit” her. Nelvil imagines telling his father of his predicament but his shame so great he fears he could never tell of his shame. Duty and unfulfilled action of duty caused such turmoil that affected the state of his mind and emotions; he fell into the most profound melancholy” (21). What battles in Nelvil’s mind and heart are conscience and consciousness. Because his sense of duty commands that he marry her, yet, circumstance up to that time prevented him thus the duty did not reach fulfillment his consciousness of what his father would say causes great turmoil. Lord Nelvil equates duty with virtue and it carrying out one’s duty transfers one into the experience of the after-life. The narrator explains, “Lord Nelvil had also a great respect for duty, but his ideas were broader than hers. He liked to soar to the Source of all, and felt this in harmony with our peculiar inclinations, and did not believe it necessary to forever war with them. He thought that virtue, far from tormenting a life, gave it durable happiness, a sort of foretaste of a glad hereafter given us while on earth. The way in which one interprets input? molds one’s sense of duty. Corinne felt a strong sense of duty to religion, but as the following quote elucidates her interpretation of duty differs greatly than that of Nelvil’s. Corinne tells Lord Nelvil, The difference between our religions, dear Oswald, is the reason of the secret blame which you cannot help letting me see. Yours is stern and serious, ours is bright and tender. . .Our religion, like that of the ancients, breathes life into art, inspires poets, makes a part of all the joys of our life; whilst yours, establishing itself in a country where reason rules rather than imagination, has taken a character of moral austerity from which it will never depart. Ours speaks in the name of love; your in the name duty. Your principles are liberal, our dogmas are absolute; and yet, in application, our orthodox despotism comprises with special circumstances, and your religious freedom makes its laws respected without any exceptions. (178) According to Corinne, her religion inspires—gives life—while Nelvil’s is harsh and unbending. Corinne equates “stern,” “serious,” with reason ruling. While her religion is “bright,” “tender,” fills life with joy. Corinne differentiates the two religions by identifying hers as “love” and Nelvil’s as “duty.” Thus, Corinne distinguishes a non-connecting relationship between love and duty. To her, duty is harsh and wanes; love waxes. This sense of differentiation is present throughout the entirety of the narrative taking various forms as each acts out according to the circumstance. Lord Nelvil attempts to persuade Corinne into agreement concerning his sense of duty: “How Corinne could we by this feeling prepare ourselves for the numberless sacrifices which duty requires: There is no revelation in it except by impulses of the should when human destiny, present and future, only presents itself through clouds . . . but for us to whom Christianity has made it clear and positive, feeling may be our reward, but it should be our sole guide; you describe the life of the blesses. . . But man is a harder and more formidable being than your heart paints him; and reason in religion, and authority in duty, are a necessary curb to his proud wanderings . . . A German philosopher said, ‘I only know two beautiful things in the universe: the starry heavens over our heads, and the sentiment of duty in our hearts.’” (183) To Nelvil duty constrains man’s evil and errant behavior, thus, to renege one’s duty is to shirk God. MORE PROSE Fanny What Lokke describes as Stael’s advocacy of “a detached, impersonal perspective as the essence of aesthetic form and philosophic wisdom” is quite appropriate to be stated of Fanny (25). From the beginning of her time at Mansfield Park Fanny is in a detached position from the center culture of the Bertram family. I posit that in this space Fanny develops herself. She observes herself as an entity, yet connected to a larger while, the Bertram family. Outside influences placed Fanny in this marginalized status as exampled when Lord Bertram states, “ QUOTE” Mrs. Norris continually throughout the eight years of Fanny’s living at Mansfield Park wastes no moments to stress to Fanny the gravity of her being conscious of her place. QUOTE. But I argue that this place was extremely comfortable for Fanny. It was home, if you will. These outside forces affected Fanny’s consciousness and helped shape her conscience but it is Fanny’s duty to herself for whence she acted. “Transcendence of passion and of the desire to control others brings about a self-possession and independence of mind that is not egotism but rather selflessness, for through detachment, we begin to see ourselves as part of a larger whole, to witness ‘the intention of nature’ and take part in the ‘calm of the order of the universe’” (27). Lokke holds that for Stae then, “freedom, not self-abnegation, is the ultimate aim of philosophy” (27). Look at quote
THIS IS MY VERY CHOPPY, INCOMPLETE, NEEDS MUCH WORK WRITING….
Germaine de Stae’s Corinne, or Italy and Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park with female protagonists so very different from one another may not seem at first to have much in common. Corinne of Corinne, or Italy embodies art, poetry, improvisation. Fanny Price of Mansfield Park embodies not anything we are quite certain of. Fanny remains so reticent in her behavior that the reader learns more of Fanny from what she does not do than what she does. But rather than state the two women are opposites. Let’s consider them at this time just very different. However, Henry Crawford of Mansfield Park at times expresses himself in such a dramatic way that one may perhaps think of Corinne. Likewise, Lord Oswald Nelvil of Corinne, or Italy maintains himself in certain controlled composure that may be reminiscent of Fanny. But this paper is not to compare these four main characters of the novel. Rather, what interests me is the driving force that motivates them. From the onset I state that each acts out of a sense of duty which each hosts according to their uniquenesses. What constituents form duty? How does duty affect one’s behavior? And how does duty affect one’s creativity? Duty what constituents form one’s sense of duty? These questions I hope to elucidate through close reading of these two narratives.
MORE PROSE
Lord Nelvil and Corinne
Lord Nelvil is moved by his sense of duty to his religion, country, and father. I use the progressive past tense to emphasize in this case the strong influence of duty upon Lord Nelvil. He is the recipient of protagonizing duty. Therefore, his behaviors and actions match manner that he believes his duty should manifest itself. In telling Corinne of Madame d’Arbigny he states that her should have married her out of duty. So strongly does he fell responsible to carry out that which duty demands he calls himself a “slave” to Madame d’Arbigny. My clarification of that statement would be that Nelvil is a slave to duty. He states:
Nothing can express the emotion I felt; this sacred and new duty filled my soul, and I bowed before Madame d’Arbigny, her devoted slave. (216) ‘I should have married her at once, as she wished, only I encountered all the difficulties an Englishman always meets with in France being married . . . I resolved not to quit her” … I was prey to the thought that I could never acknowledge my disgrace. I had a presentiment that my father was ill, but would not allow myself to believe this impression, which I took for weakness. I combated my duty with my passion for Madame d’Arbigny, and my passion appeared a duty. (217)
Even in adversity duty working through Nelvil creates perseverance; he will not “quit” her. Nelvil imagines telling his father of his predicament but his shame so great he fears he could never tell of his shame. Duty and unfulfilled action of duty caused such turmoil that affected the state of his mind and emotions; he fell into the most profound melancholy” (21). What battles in Nelvil’s mind and heart are conscience and consciousness. Because his sense of duty commands that he marry her, yet, circumstance up to that time prevented him thus the duty did not reach fulfillment his consciousness of what his father would say causes great turmoil.
Lord Nelvil equates duty with virtue and it carrying out one’s duty transfers one into the experience of the after-life. The narrator explains, “Lord Nelvil had also a great respect for duty, but his ideas were broader than hers. He liked to soar to the Source of all, and felt this in harmony with our peculiar inclinations, and did not believe it necessary to forever war with them. He thought that virtue, far from tormenting a life, gave it durable happiness, a sort of foretaste of a glad hereafter given us while on earth.
The way in which one interprets input? molds one’s sense of duty. Corinne felt a strong sense of duty to religion, but as the following quote elucidates her interpretation of duty differs greatly than that of Nelvil’s. Corinne tells Lord Nelvil,
The difference between our religions, dear Oswald, is the reason of the secret blame which you cannot help letting me see. Yours is stern and serious, ours is bright and tender. . .Our religion, like that of the ancients, breathes life into art, inspires poets, makes a part of all the joys of our life; whilst yours, establishing itself in a country where reason rules rather than imagination, has taken a character of moral austerity from which it will never depart. Ours speaks in the name of love; your in the name duty. Your principles are liberal, our dogmas are absolute; and yet, in application, our orthodox despotism comprises with special circumstances, and your religious freedom makes its laws respected without any exceptions. (178)
According to Corinne, her religion inspires—gives life—while Nelvil’s is harsh and unbending. Corinne equates “stern,” “serious,” with reason ruling. While her religion is “bright,” “tender,” fills life with joy. Corinne differentiates the two religions by identifying hers as “love” and Nelvil’s as “duty.” Thus, Corinne distinguishes a non-connecting relationship between love and duty. To her, duty is harsh and wanes; love waxes.
This sense of differentiation is present throughout the entirety of the narrative taking various forms as each acts out according to the circumstance. Lord Nelvil attempts to persuade Corinne into agreement concerning his sense of duty:
“How Corinne could we by this feeling prepare ourselves for the numberless sacrifices which duty requires: There is no revelation in it except by impulses of the should when human destiny, present and future, only presents itself through clouds . . . but for us to whom Christianity has made it clear and positive, feeling may be our reward, but it should be our sole guide; you describe the life of the blesses. . . But man is a harder and more formidable being than your heart paints him; and reason in religion, and authority in duty, are a necessary curb to his proud wanderings . . . A German philosopher said, ‘I only know two beautiful things in the universe: the starry heavens over our heads, and the sentiment of duty in our hearts.’” (183)
To Nelvil duty constrains man’s evil and errant behavior, thus, to renege one’s duty is to shirk God.
MORE PROSE
Fanny
What Lokke describes as Stael’s advocacy of “a detached, impersonal perspective as the essence of aesthetic form and philosophic wisdom” is quite appropriate to be stated of Fanny (25). From the beginning of her time at Mansfield Park Fanny is in a detached position from the center culture of the Bertram family. I posit that in this space Fanny develops herself. She observes herself as an entity, yet connected to a larger while, the Bertram family. Outside influences placed Fanny in this marginalized status as exampled when Lord Bertram states, “ QUOTE” Mrs. Norris continually throughout the eight years of Fanny’s living at Mansfield Park wastes no moments to stress to Fanny the gravity of her being conscious of her place. QUOTE. But I argue that this place was extremely comfortable for Fanny. It was home, if you will.
These outside forces affected Fanny’s consciousness and helped shape her conscience but it is Fanny’s duty to herself for whence she acted.
“Transcendence of passion and of the desire to control others brings about a self-possession and independence of mind that is not egotism but rather selflessness, for through detachment, we begin to see ourselves as part of a larger whole, to witness ‘the intention of nature’ and take part in the ‘calm of the order of the universe’” (27). Lokke holds that for Stae then, “freedom, not self-abnegation, is the ultimate aim of philosophy” (27). Look at quote